In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round of the elite World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, continued his remarkable tournament run. His perfect doubling streak only ended when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Unfazed, he composed himself to secure the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the very next leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying to prove it up there,” Hood stated in his post-match interview. “The only time I felt any pressure was throwing the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Usually, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Hood sent an early message about his intentions by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent to fourth in the global rankings after mounting a fightback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender ultimately paid the price for failing to capitalize on key opportunities, having led a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and becoming world No. 4 was among them,” admitted Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.